Sanibonani bekunene!
So, we all knew this day was coming. It was just a matter of time. Now that my projects are finally coming together, I’m shamelessly asking and begging you to take out your wallets and donate! And yes, I know that this recession and put us all in a tight spot, but ANY contribution can and will help. There are 2 projects I am working on and BOTH will need all of the help and support it can get!
The first is: BOOKS FOR SWAZILAND! Books for Swaziland is a project designed to establish new libraries or enhance existing school library facilities in rural Swazi communities. Each location will receive roughly 1,000 books, donated by Books for Africa, a US- based organization. Around 45 schools have applied to participate in this year’s project, but ultimately only 30 schools could be selected. My primary school has been chosen! Both my school and community are working hard to build shelves and raise the money needed on their end, to help transport the books to Swaziland. What we need is help raising money to ship the books from America to Africa. There will also be a chance for you to send any library materials (i.e. construction paper, scissors, markers, pens, pencils, paint, crayons, beads, etc.) to the Books for Africa warehouse in America, which will then be included in the cargo ship and given directly to my primary school. So start collecting all those art and craft supplies around the house- unused, collecting dust, and taking up space- and send them to Swaziland where you will make hundreds upon hundreds of children in my community happy. More information on mailing supplies will be posted shortly.
Go To: https://www.peacecorps.gov/index.cfm?shell=donate.contribute.projDetail&projdesc=645-090
The second project I’m working on is called Camp GLOW (Girls Leading Our World). GLOW is a project run by Peace Corps Volunteers throughout the world. It’s targeting girls and young women in rural villages educating, empowering, and offering support and guidance to their lives. Peace Corps Swaziland has never held a Camp GLOW before and with the highest rate of HIV infections in the world, this small African kingdom has never needed this successful international project more.
Over 5 days our leadership and health camp will encourage and inspire gender equality and empowerment at the community level by bringing young Swazi women together to access education, share ideas and develop skills in a safe environment. This is a chance for the girls to not only meet other young women around Swaziland (whom have probably never left their communities before), but to also gain the contacts of various NGOs, learn who they can contact for information and help, and most importantly- pass that information on to other young women back in their communities. My charter club consists of a small but passionate group of young, motivated, and wonderful girls who would love nothing more than to have this once in a lifetime experience.
Go To: https://www.peacecorps.gov/index.cfm?shell=donate.contribute.projDetail&projdesc=645-091
This Christmas, give the gift of education. Help start libraries and support the growth of education and gender empowerment for the hope of a brighter future in Swaziland. So get into the generous, tax-deductible, Christmas spirit and send your hard-earned dollar dollar bills our way. Siyabonga! (Thank you!)
Saturday, December 10, 2011
Wednesday, December 7, 2011
Painting Projects and Poetry
There’s a popular project many PCVs in Swaziland have been working on the past year. It’s a health awareness campaign which paints bus stops in PCVs communities with health tips and messages made public and available for those who might not be able to afford a visit to the clinic. At the time of each painting there’s a chance for dialogue and information to be distributed concerning the chosen topic.
I loved this idea and I’ve had the opportunity to assist other volunteers paint in their communities but had trouble finding a way to bring this project into my community. My village is fairly far out, bordering South Africa, and nowhere near a main road. Trees and rocks are my “truck stops” (instead of bus shelters). After talking with some of my community members, the PC office, and writing out a VAST proposal, we have tailored the painting project to the needs of my community. We decided to paint 2 pre-schools and 2 Neighborhood Care Points (NCPs). I then approached the schools, 2 primary schools and 1 high school, and held a drawing and poetry contest. The winner’s artwork or poetry would be painted onto the walls. The only requirement was that it had to be related to HIV/AIDS.
I returned to the schools last week to collect participants’ entries and was surprised at the turnout and the quality of the work. These children have experienced more pain and loss than most of us have or ever will experience. They have had family, friends, and/or loved ones who have passed due to HIV. In some cases they too have had to live with the virus either from Mother to Child transmission, from being raped, or from having unprotected sex. These kids know what it’s like to be stigmatized and they have personally felt the effects of the devastation from this terrible disease. Below are 3 poems that touched me. I hope you enjoy them and as you read it, think about what a BLESSED life you live.
Just Because I’m HIV Positive…
By: S. Matsenjwa
High School
Just because I am HIV positive
It does not mean I am dying tomorrow
It does not mean I am no longer human
I may even live longer and longer.
Just because I am HIV positive
It does not mean you must set aside
Spoons, toilets, dishes for me to use.
You can’t get HIV from those things.
Just because I am HIV positive
It does not mean I have no right
To work as a professional for government
I also like managing even though I am positive.
The right thing for you to do is get tested for the virus.
Stop stigmatizing me,
you might also have it right there in your blood
of which you do not know about.
What I may tell you is that I did not get it in a bad way.
It was just an accident.
I was only trying to help a person, just helping
I never knew she was HIV positive.
The Deadly HIV/AIDS
By: N. Sibmbo
Grade 6
Be careful! Beware! Be clever and alert
All you generations of tomorrow
AIDS kills and leaves no stone unturned
Therefore watch your steps
And straighten your paths
This is not a joke but millions of souls
Are under the grave you know!
Protect yourselves with everyway you can.
O’ even abstain from this monster disease
If it requires.
To you who are in relationships of any kind
Your spear should be faithfulness and also
Having protection when having intercourse.
To the youth and those innocent from love affairs,
I repeat to say abstinence
Is the only key to your survival.
All because AIDS kills without a limit.
AIDS Why?
By: N. Bhiya
Grade 5
AIDS! AIDS! Who are you?
You are an incurable disease
You kill our brothers and sisters.
You kill both old and young ones
Why HIV & AIDS?
You killed our mothers and fathers
They left us as orphans
We were having better dreams
About our futures but now
They’ve vanished in the air.
But why HIV & AIDS?
AIDS! You do not care about
The economy melt down.
Instead you are making it worse than before
As the number of orphans increases every year
Therefore increase government spending on orphans.
I do not understand! Why AIDS?!
Our future is doomed
When there is no food we are tempted
To be in love with sugar daddies because
They have ample money.
However, they are the ones who spread you HIV & AIDS
I am asking why HIV?
Young vibrant stars
Stand up and fight HIV & AIDS
So that we can make it possible
And achieve our goals in life.
Maybe we can get the reason why.
I loved this idea and I’ve had the opportunity to assist other volunteers paint in their communities but had trouble finding a way to bring this project into my community. My village is fairly far out, bordering South Africa, and nowhere near a main road. Trees and rocks are my “truck stops” (instead of bus shelters). After talking with some of my community members, the PC office, and writing out a VAST proposal, we have tailored the painting project to the needs of my community. We decided to paint 2 pre-schools and 2 Neighborhood Care Points (NCPs). I then approached the schools, 2 primary schools and 1 high school, and held a drawing and poetry contest. The winner’s artwork or poetry would be painted onto the walls. The only requirement was that it had to be related to HIV/AIDS.
I returned to the schools last week to collect participants’ entries and was surprised at the turnout and the quality of the work. These children have experienced more pain and loss than most of us have or ever will experience. They have had family, friends, and/or loved ones who have passed due to HIV. In some cases they too have had to live with the virus either from Mother to Child transmission, from being raped, or from having unprotected sex. These kids know what it’s like to be stigmatized and they have personally felt the effects of the devastation from this terrible disease. Below are 3 poems that touched me. I hope you enjoy them and as you read it, think about what a BLESSED life you live.
Just Because I’m HIV Positive…
By: S. Matsenjwa
High School
Just because I am HIV positive
It does not mean I am dying tomorrow
It does not mean I am no longer human
I may even live longer and longer.
Just because I am HIV positive
It does not mean you must set aside
Spoons, toilets, dishes for me to use.
You can’t get HIV from those things.
Just because I am HIV positive
It does not mean I have no right
To work as a professional for government
I also like managing even though I am positive.
The right thing for you to do is get tested for the virus.
Stop stigmatizing me,
you might also have it right there in your blood
of which you do not know about.
What I may tell you is that I did not get it in a bad way.
It was just an accident.
I was only trying to help a person, just helping
I never knew she was HIV positive.
The Deadly HIV/AIDS
By: N. Sibmbo
Grade 6
Be careful! Beware! Be clever and alert
All you generations of tomorrow
AIDS kills and leaves no stone unturned
Therefore watch your steps
And straighten your paths
This is not a joke but millions of souls
Are under the grave you know!
Protect yourselves with everyway you can.
O’ even abstain from this monster disease
If it requires.
To you who are in relationships of any kind
Your spear should be faithfulness and also
Having protection when having intercourse.
To the youth and those innocent from love affairs,
I repeat to say abstinence
Is the only key to your survival.
All because AIDS kills without a limit.
AIDS Why?
By: N. Bhiya
Grade 5
AIDS! AIDS! Who are you?
You are an incurable disease
You kill our brothers and sisters.
You kill both old and young ones
Why HIV & AIDS?
You killed our mothers and fathers
They left us as orphans
We were having better dreams
About our futures but now
They’ve vanished in the air.
But why HIV & AIDS?
AIDS! You do not care about
The economy melt down.
Instead you are making it worse than before
As the number of orphans increases every year
Therefore increase government spending on orphans.
I do not understand! Why AIDS?!
Our future is doomed
When there is no food we are tempted
To be in love with sugar daddies because
They have ample money.
However, they are the ones who spread you HIV & AIDS
I am asking why HIV?
Young vibrant stars
Stand up and fight HIV & AIDS
So that we can make it possible
And achieve our goals in life.
Maybe we can get the reason why.
"The Girl who swims in the cold"
It’s December already?! I can’t believe how fast time is flying by. I’ve only got 7 more months left in Swaziland and I’m not sure if I’ll be ready to leave yet.
So once again, we had the wonderful opportunity to celebrate Thanksgiving at the U.S. Ambassador, Mr. Earl Irving’s house. My family has never been one to fully celebrate Thanksgiving with the intensity that most mainlanders do. This was never a problem since I didn’t know what I was missing out on, but the ambassador has outright SPOILED me. Multiple tables filled with the largest array of dishes with as much as you could possibly eat. Out on the patio there was a drink station with tubs filled to the brim containing juice, bottled water and alcoholic beverages- as much as you could drink. Held up in the Peace Corps (or perhaps it’s just my personal) tradition, was swimming in the pool. A friend and I were the only ones crazy enough to jump into the water in the cold rain. After swimming we joined the rest of the group for the President’s Thanksgiving speech, prayer, and the ambassador’s speech. After changing out of my bathing suit, I briefly talked to Mr. Irving and he not only knew my name but called me the “girl who swims in the cold”. Obviously, I felt pretty special. Following the feast there was a large amount of food and drinks leftover. It is in the Swazi culture to bring plastic bags or containers to any event and take away anything remaining. Let me say, we have very successfully integrated. PCVs began pulling out Tupperware, Ziploc bags, and plastic bags and began raiding the kitchen. People watched amusingly as we filled our pockets, bags, and clothing with food and beer and unabashedly left the ambassador’s house.
I will never forget these past 2 years and the kindness Mr. Irving has shown to us poor, semi-disgusting PCVs. He has opened his house, let us use his pool and showers, and offered us endless amounts of food and drinks. No Thanksgiving will ever come close to the time I’ve spent here. Thank you!
So once again, we had the wonderful opportunity to celebrate Thanksgiving at the U.S. Ambassador, Mr. Earl Irving’s house. My family has never been one to fully celebrate Thanksgiving with the intensity that most mainlanders do. This was never a problem since I didn’t know what I was missing out on, but the ambassador has outright SPOILED me. Multiple tables filled with the largest array of dishes with as much as you could possibly eat. Out on the patio there was a drink station with tubs filled to the brim containing juice, bottled water and alcoholic beverages- as much as you could drink. Held up in the Peace Corps (or perhaps it’s just my personal) tradition, was swimming in the pool. A friend and I were the only ones crazy enough to jump into the water in the cold rain. After swimming we joined the rest of the group for the President’s Thanksgiving speech, prayer, and the ambassador’s speech. After changing out of my bathing suit, I briefly talked to Mr. Irving and he not only knew my name but called me the “girl who swims in the cold”. Obviously, I felt pretty special. Following the feast there was a large amount of food and drinks leftover. It is in the Swazi culture to bring plastic bags or containers to any event and take away anything remaining. Let me say, we have very successfully integrated. PCVs began pulling out Tupperware, Ziploc bags, and plastic bags and began raiding the kitchen. People watched amusingly as we filled our pockets, bags, and clothing with food and beer and unabashedly left the ambassador’s house.
I will never forget these past 2 years and the kindness Mr. Irving has shown to us poor, semi-disgusting PCVs. He has opened his house, let us use his pool and showers, and offered us endless amounts of food and drinks. No Thanksgiving will ever come close to the time I’ve spent here. Thank you!
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